Three state-run newspapers--Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and Al-Gomhorriya--all feature on their front pages news of President Hosni Mubarak's meeting with his Israeli counterpart Shimon Perez in bilateral talks that took place yesterday at Mubarak's presidential residence. Mubarak focused on three main steps to push forward the peace process: freezing settlement building, ceasing Israeli attacks on the West Bank, and setting a timetable for direct negotiations to begin. Al-Ahram publishes a report from the Information and Decision Support Center that reveals a global price rise during July. The price of wheat increased by 20.4 percent, with the price of one ton reaching US$198.6, compared to US$165 in June, while sugar has increased in price by 12 percent, with one ton equaling US$569.9 compared to $508.8 in June. The price of corn also recorded an 8.3 percent increase. The report also refers to an increase in mobile phone subscribers, up 24.8 percent compared with May 2009, and an increase in the number of internet users, up to 17.94 million users currently, marking a 23 percent increase. Al-Gomhorriya reports on Minister of Electricity Hassan Youness' statement, while inspecting the electricity generation station in Seedi Kreir, that 98 percent of Egyptians receive subsidized electricity. The minister said subsidized electricity should be for the poor, not for the owners of air conditioners. Youness also clarified that power cuts in the south of the Nile valley were not connected to consumption. Aktham Abul Ela, official spokesperson for the ministry, explained to Al-Shorouq newspaper that electricity cuts were due to high temperatures and increasing electrical loads. Al-Shorouq also reports that 50 public figures, including parliamentary members, party chiefs and politicians, will submit a request to meet president Mubarak to speak about proposed amendments to the political rights law as well as recommended guarantees for election integrity. ِAmendments include a requirement for judges to be present at all polling stations as well as permitting international monitoring of the upcoming elections. Mofeed Shehab, the minister of state for legal affairs and parliamentary council, is however reported to reject judicial supervision of elections, asserting that its disadvantages are more numerous than its advantages, according to Al-Dostour. High-ranking officials at the Ministry of Irrigation and Land Reclamation informed Al-Shorouq of presidential orders to both the Ministry of Irrigation and the Ministry of Agriculture to prepare a report on government performance concerning violations on desert roads, in order that such violations are not repeated either within resorts or on irrigated land. Finally, the new satellite Nile Sat 201 is due to be launched Wednesday from its French base in South America, according to Anas el-Fiqqi, Minister of Information. The launch is due to cooperation between Egypt and France, Rose el-Youssef reports. El-Fiqqi said the satellite is designed to fulfill the demands of Egypt and other Arab countries until the year 2025, and will reach South Sudan and Nile basin countries. Egypt's papers: Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run Rose el-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned Al-Shorouq: Daily, privately owned Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party Youm7: Weekly, privately owned Sawt el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
